Fast hardening, also referred to as fast drying or quick setting, aqueous latex-based traffic paints are currently in wide use. One distinct advantage of these water-based paints is that they contain low amounts of volatile organic compounds compared to solvent based paints. However, the chemistry involved in the fast hardening mechanism of these paints can lead to situations in which the paint plates out on process surfaces, such as spray equipment. Traffic paint typically is applied as a spray from a moving vehicle. Plate out on process metal surfaces, such as the surfaces of the spray nozzle of the vehicle, can result in loss of productivity. Since the wide acceptance of aqueous traffic paints in the late 1980's, this problem has existed for traffic paint users, especially when using paints containing polyimine additives, such as polyethyleneimine, in combination with a metal process surface where the metal is not stainless steel.
It would be desirable to have an aqueous latex-containing composition, such as a traffic paint, in which the plate out problem would be substantially reduced.